VIRTUAL ORIENTEERING CHALLENGES

Follow this link for a list of the Virtual Orienteering Challenges in the CLOK area.

Introduction to Virtual Orienteering Challenges

The MapRun6 app allows you to go orienteering using a course map displayed on your smartphone.  There are no kites or other markers at the control sites, but your phone – using its GPS to track your location – notifies you when you are at a control.

You need to download the MapRun6 app from the MapRunners web site.  Make sure you get the newer MapRun6 app, not the older MapRun app.

If you have a compatible Garmin watch you can download the MapRunG app on to it.  Your watch will then let you know when you're at a control site and record your progress around the course, so you don't need to carry your smartphone.

The MapRunner web site includes a step by step guide on using the app, and there is also a good introduction to the app on the CLARO web site.

Hints and tips:

• If you have a GPS watch you would be well advised to use it as well in case you have issues with the GPS track accuracy on your phone.
• Once you have selected the event in MapRun6, switch off both wifi and data connections; e.g. by turning on airplane mode.  If you don't do this, if your phone is struggling to get a good GPS fix it may revert to trying to determine its location by reference to mobile phone masts or approximate wifi router locations .... neither of which will give you anything like the accuracy you need.  Remember to turn data back on once you finish so that your phone can upload your results to the MapRunner web site.

  Note: If you've got an Apple watch with its own SIM card then you definitely need to turn on airplane mode.  If you just switch off your iPhone's wifi and data connections it can still try to use the iWatch's data connection to estimate your location.

• Set your phone so that it doesn't go into standby mode while you're doing your run, because if your phone is in standby mode it won't give you the 'ping' that tells you you're at a control.  On Apple devicies, go to Settings --> Display and brightness and turn Auto-lock to Never.  After your run, remember to return your phone to its normal settings to preserve battery life and re-inistate security features.
• Before starting, check the accuracy of your phone's GPS fix.  You need the banner at the bottom of the MapRun6 display to be green rather than orange or red.  There are various apps that will show you how many satellites your phone has been able to pick up and, in some cases, let you 'tune up' your GPS settings.  A couple of examples for Android devices are GPS Test and GPS Status & Toolbox.

If you don't have a smartphone you can submit a track recorded by your GPS watch via the FNE MapRun Console.

• You'll need to export the track from your GPS watch in GPX format.  If your watch automatically uploads your activities to Strava you can download a GPX file from Strava.  Otherwise, you should be able to export a GPX file from your online account with the watch manufacturer.
• During the upload process, set the threshold at 12 metres.  (See the note below for more about the threshold.)
• The system will analyse your GPS run and display a table showing how close you got to each control position.  You can remove duplicate visits to controls before submitting your run for inclusion in the results.
• Note: The threshold determines how close your GPS track has to go to a control position in order for you to have been deemed to have visited that control.  If the analysis table says that you haven't visited a particular control that you know you went to, you can go back to the previous step and increase the threshold to find out how close the system thinks you got.

Map printing service

If you'd prefer to use a paper map, and you don't have a suitable printer, Phill Batts is offering a map printing service.  Maps for any club's MapRun Navigation Challenges will be printed on A4 waterproof paper (Pretex) and posted to you in a C4 envelope.  The prices are:-

• 1 map:  £2.50
• 2 - 8 maps:  £2.50 for the first map plus £1 for each additional map
• 9 - 20 maps:  £2.50 for P&P plus £1 per map.
• More than 20 maps:  Please ask.

Payment by BACS transfer.

To order, contact Phill Batts.  Orders received by midday will be posted by 1st class mail that day.

Safety

Please ensure you use a buddy system so that someone knows when you should return.

If you are running after dark or in gloomy conditions, please wear high visibility / reflective clothing; e.g. a high-viz vest, reflective armbands or something similar.

Please be courteous to members of the public in the competition area.

Challenges

The following Virtual Orienteering Challenges are available:-

>>	Albert Park, Middlesbrough	Four parkland courses.
>>	Catterick Garrison	Eighteen courses.
>>	Darlington North	Urban "collect all the controls in any order" course.
>>	Darlington North v2	Three urban "collect all the controls in any order" courses.
>>	Darlington NE	Three urban "collect all the controls in any order" courses.
>>	South Park, Darlington	Four urban courses.
>>	West Park, Darlington	Three urban / parkland courses, two parkland courses and three mountain bike courses.
>>	Darlington Central 1	Three urban courses.
>>	Darlington Central 2	Three urban courses.
>>	Rockwell Local Nature Reserve, Darlington	Nine parkland / urban courses.
>>	South Burdon Wood	Four courses.
>>	Sedgefield	Four urban courses, one being a "collect all the controls in any order" course.
>>	Preston Park, Eaglescliffe	Four parkland courses.   Currently unavailable due to construction work in the park.
>>	Stockton-on-Tees	Three urban courses.
>>	Newton Aycliffe	Four urban courses, three being linear and one being a score course.
>>	Barnard Castle	Four urban courses, three being linear and one being a score course.

British Orienteering's Rules of Orienteering state that "Juniors aged under 16 are not permitted to compete on courses where there are possible routes that require competitors to cross roads with significant traffic".  This means that anyone under 16 can only run most of the urban courses if they are accompanied by an adult.  However, unaccompanied juniors can run the Albert Park courses, the South Park Short and Beginners courses and the South Burdon Wood courses.

Comments / Reports

Here are reports by Malcolm Hewitson and David Murphy on the Catterick Garrison challenges.

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